Shot in the Dark
by mako-lies
Summary: A ninja and a pirate walk into a bar. (And talk about dragons.)


The truth of the matter is, she's drunk, smashed, _and_ shit-faced. Yuffie grins at the man sitting across from her and he offers her his own Cheshire smile in return. She has to repress the urge to puke, but she's pretty sure that's the booze talking and not the smile. He's pretty hot, actually. She wouldn't mind having a go at him.

"Lass," there's a flush high in his cheeks, he's nearly as drunk as she is, "Did I tell ya I'm a pirate captain?"

"Did I tell you I'm a princess?" Yuffie counters.

The captain's grin widens, teeth gleaming. "Nothin' special. So'm I, love."

It makes Yuffie laugh too-hard and she nearly topples off her stool. The captain winks at her - gawd, she could spend more time looking at him. He's lean with this long hair that's either blond or purple (she's not sure how she can't tell the difference, but it must have something to do with all the drinking). He wears a long black coat that accentuates how slim he is without making him seem small.

She doesn't like his eyes, though. They're green, almost the same shade as Aeris's, and Yuffie takes a huge gulp of her drink. "I'm Yuffie. Yuffie Kisaragi!"

"Faris Scherwiz," he says and they fall silent, enjoying the atmosphere of the tavern with its army of undesirables, splintery seats, and cheap booze.

Later, they're still drunk but not drinking, Faris talks about the time he most certainly _didn't_ fall in love with a beautiful princess (a princess who was not, in fact, Faris himself). That's when she feels it - the questing fingers, the presence behind her - and Yuffie twirls, springing off her stool, drawing one of her knives. Even drunk, she's still a ninja first. "Bad move," she says.

The thief looks stricken, the ill-gotten red materia gleaming in his hand. "I - uhm -" he's young, couldn't be older than fifteen and scrawny.

She remembers being fifteen. "Give it to me. Now."

For a second, she thinks he's going to make a break for it, but then Faris stands, hand on the hilt of his rapier. His grin is nothing short of feral; the boy blanches, holds out the materia.

Yuffie snatches it back and then the boy flees. She almost feels bad for him.

"Must be mighty valuable," Faris remarks, sitting gracefully for a man so drunk.

"It's Leviathan," Yuffie explains, "So, yeah. It's kind of a big deal."

Faris's eyes light up (and _oh_ , she shouldn't have looked at his eyes. Quick, a shot for every time she looks at something she shouldn't. She reaches for her drink only to find it's empty). "Leviathan, eh? King of the Sea Dragons? In that rock?"

"Rock?" Yuffie scoffs, inspects the materia in her hands, "It's a summon materia. So it's like - a magic booty call rock."

And yeah, okay, she's had a _lot_ too much to drink, but Faris throws his head back and laughs. Briefly, Yuffie thinks to wonder about who would question a summon materia, but it doesn't seem so important when Faris speaks again. "Always liked sea dragons," he muses.

"Never had trouble with them? They're not usually friendly with pirates."

Faris waves a hand, smirking like he knows something Yuffie doesn't. To be honest, it's not a good feeling. "Me n' dragons have an accord."

His eyes flash in the light (take a shot) and the materia in her hand warms, flaring hot, and Yuffie breathes, "Dragon tamer."

Reverence is a tidal wave and she resists - does not bow her head, does not say the prayers - and Faris hums in the back of his throat, pleased, like he somehow knows what Yuffie's thinking. And it's totally not fair for him to be a dragon tamer when she basically worships dragons and has a dragon God in her palm. Seriously. He leans in, so that Yuffie can feel the heat coming off him, and whispers, "You've got dragon blood in ya. I'd wager you knew that?"

"Of course," Yuffie's voice is more nonchalant than she feels, her heart pounding, and she clings harder to Leviathan, "I'm a Kisaragi - blessed with the blood of the water _God_."

Faris pulls back, smirk widening. "Well, you're somethin', I'll give ya that."

For a bit, they don't say anything more, and then Faris asks, "How about we go back to my ship, and I'll show ya my dragon?"

When Yuffie agrees, she doesn't actually think Faris is talking about a dragon.

As it turns out, he is.


End file.
